Interesting stories, events and random musings from Captain Barry King about windjammer cruises aboard the historic schooner Mary Day of Camden, Maine.

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Monthly Archives: December 2013

Good morning everyone. Apple Topped Gingerbread Cake with Maple Cream is a seasonal favorite that Jen found somewhere along the path of life. It is our family’s taste of the holiday season. It certainly warms our hearts as much as it does our tummies and is rich with memories of holidays past. With the winter solstice upon us this cake also forms a bridge between the seasons from autumn to spring with its appealing combination of fall apples and spring maple syrup. The apples keep this cake moist. As to what type of apple to use…well, that is a debate for the ages. Jen prefers a Macintosh but admits that apples are such a personal preference that she just as soon steer clear of telling anyone which variety to use for this particular recipe. I prefer a sweet-tart variety like a Northern Spy or, believe it or not, a Macoun which is usually reserved as a hand-apple. Maybe a pippin? Depending on where you live local varieties will dictate what is freshest. I steer away from the sweetness of the Delicious varieties. This is just my personal preference so for you highly opinionated apple afficianados out there…..relax.

Mix all together. Pour on top of apple mixture. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350′. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and serve topped with maple cream. Best served warm!

Maple cream is very easy. Mix 1 cup of whipped cream with 1/4 cup of maple syrup. As Jen would tell you, the maple cream is divine and so simple you might be tempted to skip it. But don’t do that! Don’t worry about calories. The maple syrup balances out any calories that might be found in the whipped cream.

Have a great solstice and enjoy this holiday recipe. Let us know how it comes out and give us your opinion on your favorite variety of apple. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. Hope you folks enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by friends and family. Some of you folks lucky enough to have sailed with us during our Seamanship and Sail Training course several years ago may remember Steve Stone, filmmaker extraordinaire. Steve spent several days interviewing guests and documenting the process through which students become working crew. Though it doesn’t appear in this video Steve even documented how to sail a schooner backwards…parallel parking, if you will. I can’t wait to see that footage. At any rate, here it is, the finished product:The Schooner Mary Day, An Evolutionary Remembrance.

If you have never seen it, OffCenterHarbor.com is a membership website that brings you inside the world of classic boats. Their growing collection of 140+ videos give you rare access to the leading craftspeople who build, restore and sail these wonderful boats. Though the link above gives you free trial access to their website this is a subscription based service so don’t expect to get all this talent and hard work for free. It is well worth the price of admission. I can’t speak highly enough about the quality of the work these folks produce and guarantee the token subscription pales in comparison to all the hard work and years of experience these highly revered professionals bring to Off Center Harbor.